DualShockers
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Digimon fans starving for a game with a proper budget can finally have their fill. Digimon Story: Time Stranger is everything that those who grew up alongside Taichi and Agumon once dreamed a game could be. The story, though it sometimes stumbles with its time-travel theme and clunky script, has a glorious conclusion, and there's nothing better than filling your roster with 400+ Digimon. However, those who are just looking for a new turn-based JRPG might not find much here to hold their attention, especially since the first hours feel unappealing for anyone who doesn't care about Digimon.
Absolum is a game that will be remembered not only for its incredible scenery but also for its fantastic gameplay. From the very first moments, it's clear that Absolum is something special and unique. A mix of powerful mechanics and expert game design will make players leave every session wanting more. Absolum will undoubtedly make a name for itself as one of the greatest games of the year. Whether it's with a friend or solo, beating up hordes of enemies has never been so much fun.
Yooka-Replaylee feels like one of the best Nintendo 64-era collect-a-thons ever, but with every bit of shine, polish, and refinement that a 2025 release allows. Each level and character design is gorgeous, the orchestral soundtrack is incredible, and there's a ridiculous amount of activities and challenges jam-packed into every single nook and cranny of the game. The whole thing handles as smooth as butter and is a top-tier platformer experience that's oozing with heart, charm, joy, fun, and humor. My hat is truly off to Playtonic for taking the foundation of their 2017 title and improving upon it tenfold in every conceivable way. This is a banger.
"Bye Sweet Carole is an ambitious game that shoots for the moon and ends up among the stars. The Disney-style presentation is damn near flawless and evokes a sense of childish nostalgia that hardly any game has managed to do before. Not to mention, it's a pretty competent puzzler that feels cut from the same cloth as LucasArts classics in many ways. However, due to a slew of technical issues and some of the most cumbersome and unsatisfying platforming, stealth, and action sequences I can recall enduring, the game undoes a lot of its fine work to ultimately end up being a unique, but rather average experience."
Although Ghost of Yotei lacks a cohesive and well-executed main story, it makes up for that with its vastly improved combat and world design. It obviously doesn't do anything mind-blowing for the open-world genre, but it refines nearly every aspect that made Tsushima special while carving out its own unique identity. Atsu’s journey delivers both emotional depth and visceral action through her mastery of various weapons, supported by a beautifully crafted world that feels alive without overwhelming you with a boatload of recurring side activities. It’s a love letter to revenge tale media rather than the traditional samurai cinema and players who still adore the gameplay-focused prowess of Sucker Punch—moreover, it's also a reminder that sometimes, a safe sequel can still be satisfying to play.
It's one of the most predictable, uninspired, and underwhelming action RPGs you'll likely ever come across. There is a certain level of cozy comfort that comes with that, but all in all, this is not worth your time or money."
Overall, I've had an absolute blast with Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch; there's a lot of replay value and exciting possibilities.
The combat does feel a little stiff, while the magic and jewel system is unnecessarily complicated. But even so, if you're looking for an action RPG that scratches that retro itch, Shrine's Legacy is definitely one worth diving into.
The game doesn't have that lightning-in-a-bottle feel, and there's a genuine concern this game could be dead on arrival."
Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny is loaded with nostalgia, callbacks to famous scenes and lines, but ultimately isn't as good as it could be. The limited fantasy setting, monotonous combat and underwhelming world map are helped slightly by its wonderfully authentic voices and fun story. If you grew up watching these cartoons, chances are you'll be charmed by the respect paid to them like I was, but find that the quest itself is not quite as good as just watching your favorite episodes again.
LEGO Party! stands tall as one of the best games ever in the competitive board game-style genre. Sure, it's derivative of Mario Party, but it also improves on many games in that series in a multitude of ways.
The only real nitpick I could offer is that the descriptions of some of the charms are a little dense and percentage-heavy, but that becomes progressively less of a problem as you play the game and pick up more of what it’s putting down. Frankly, it’s a wonder I was even able to put it down long enough to write this, and I’m gonna go start another run as soon as I’m done. The first step is admitting you have a problem, and the second step is pulling the dang lever again.
Sworn is an incredibly fun action Roguelite to jump into, especially if you have friends to play with. While it certainly isn't perfect, there's enough here to at least give it a shot. Sworn in its best moments is a game that engages you on several levels and forces you to make difficult decisions while rewarding your hard work. In its worst moments, it's a bit of a slog that will have you questioning your strategy and build. If you like Arthurian legend and thoroughly enjoy Roguelite action with meta-progression, you'll find yourself very pleased with your time in Sworn.
With Hotel Barcelona, I feel as though both Suda and Swery's typical shortcomings are multiplying against each other, resulting in a game that has good bones and a fun, wacky premise, but falls well short on actual execution. If a game with this kind of slow, sticky gameplay and graphical shortcomings came from any other directors, it probably wouldn't be on my radar.
The developers of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles went above and beyond in not only recreating the feel of the original game but also upgrading nearly every aspect of it. It’s hard to improve upon a masterpiece, but Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles accomplishes just that, and I hope that it doesn’t get ignored come awards season, in such a stacked year full of great releases.
Topping the original Hades was a damn near impossible feat, but Supergiant Games pulled it off. While it still has some of the accessibility issues of its predecessor, Hades 2 manages to improve upon the combat, world-building, and content of the first game, making Melinoe’s journey stand out. It may not surprise or shock Hades fans with originality, but it upped the stakes in a way that makes it a must-play game.
You'll painfully wander aimlessly for hours. You'll cringe hard at the "humor" that gets way too gratuitous, gross, and vulgar completely unjustifiably. This becomes a mostly mean-spirited game that even wants to drive you insane with the soundtrack. Laugh and watch someone else experience it if you want to, but do not play it yourself.
Silent Hill f is completely distinct from any other entry in the franchise, but also firmly committed to being faithful to Team Silent's visions, and it carried out those visions wonderfully. Not only is the game a horror masterpiece, it's a Silent Hill masterpiece, finally giving veteran fans the long-awaited relief we've been craving. While being a commentary on feminine fears and oppressive societies, Silent Hill f gives much for players to chew on, and even more to swallow, in the most visually striking and grotesque entry the series has seen yet. The first new Silent Hill entry in over a decade is everything fans could ever hope it to be and then some, cementing itself as an instant classic not just for the franchise, but for survival horror overall.
Without the shadow of multiplayer balancing looming over things, you have gameplay that is likely to stay the same until FC 27 inevitably comes along. I've been having a blast with the current implementation, and was quick to uninstall FC 25 after a single match. If you like to play it slow, pass around, and fist-pump after tight wins, this is the football game for you.
Towa And The Guardians Of The Sacred Tree is sadly a frustrating, repetitive, poorly balanced experience. It's a shame, because there is a decent amount of heart present, backdropped by beautiful designs and a stellar soundtrack. Unfortunately, the gameplay loop quickly becomes completely mindless, combat is a chore, bosses feel cheap, and your game clock counter just keeps going up while the emotions of the story never hit. There are some nice ideas here, but the execution and implementation still does not lend itself to an enjoyable Roguelite title at all.